Laura Kessinger

Bend offers so many ways to indulge your culinary senses, paring down a list of the most special delicacies in these parts was no easy feat. Here are our favorite, and priciest, ways to live the good life through food in Central Oregon.
Leonardi Balsamic Vinegar, Newport Market: For deglazing, for dipping or for drizzling, vineger’s versatility never ceases to surprise. I still remember the shiver I got the first time I tried 30 year old balsamic—it popped my eyes wide open with a concentrated sharpness then mellowing tanginess. Proof is in the price tag with this lovely liquid: at Newport Market, Leonardi 30-year balsamico goes for $180.

Searching for hard-to-find ingredients like cactus or tamarind? Trying to feed a family of four on a $20 bill? No worries! Although still undiscovered by most, Bend does have a handful of true-to-Mexico taco joints and three Latino markets. So whether you need pasilla peppers for posole, or a quick and delicious bite on the run, look no further than these friendly and authentic family-run establishments. No habla espanol? No problem.

Winding down summer in style, the family and I played tourist in Tumalo last weekend. We camped at Tumalo State Park.

A crazy concept?
Breakfast for dinner is commonplace here in the States. Popularized by 24-hour giants such as Shari’s and IHOP, and stretched to gourmet by trendsetters like Gravy in Portland, my guess is just about all of us have enjoyed eggs or pancakes way past noon.
But dinner for breakfast seemed a backward concept.
In the south, however, dinner-worthy meals in the morning are customary. In the sweltering heat of a humid Southern summer, it makes much more sense to stand behind a hot stove or smoking grill in the cooler morning hours. And, being the birthplace of barbeque, it’s no wonder that southerners regularly enjoy pulled pork, smoked brisket and even ribs as the first meal of the day.

I spent more than a decade living in the Sunriver area, watching my babies grow into kids amidst a sea of seasonal tourists. It became a family pastime to watch and laugh as these visitors tried to navigate the roundabouts, pedaled their way around the bike paths or slicing it into the water on the par three.
With wallets as open as their gaping mouths, they’d wine, dine and shop till they dropped. But then the real estate bubble burst. The once-thriving Village Mall of shops and restaurants became a ghost town with sparse tenancy. And the steady stream of tourists was reduced to a trickle.

When I was 18, I had a solar-powered smoothie cart here in Bend. Every morning I’d wheel my cart off the trailer hitch of my ’87 Four Runner, push with all my might to get it up the sidewalk ramp, then lift the solar panels into position. Next to Starbucks downtown by the bench with the statue of a man—his wallet open—I would eagerly blend frozen fruit and juice, sure I could change the world, one smoothie at a time.
It was the beginning of the “health” boom, or so I thought. I was sure that within a decade we would recognize that “real” food was affordable. Nutrient rich food was marketable. And consumers could force the McDonalds of the world to offer healthier choices in smaller portions.

There are still a handful of tickets left for the July 21 not-to-be-missed culinary event of the summer: A five-course wine and beer-paired dinner with live music and special guest speakers—all in the evening sunshine at Field’s Farm on the eastside.
This first-of-its kind Farm to Fork dinner in Central Oregon will feature a cornucopia of fresh organic veggies, locally produced cheeses and locally raised meats paired with a 10 Barrel brew and three of Maragas Winery’s Central Oregon-produced wines.

Bend winos take note: there is now one more place to swirl, sip and savor in the heart of downtown Bend.
On the east side of Wall Street right next door to Joolz, newly opened Bend D’Vine offers tasty tapas, classic wine-inspired small plates, and over 28 wines by the glass. It’s one of the few places of its kind downtown that’s open between lunch and dinner, making it a great place to pre-funk before heading out on the town or the perfect place to meet a friend for an afternoon glass of wine.

Many Bend beer lovers have yet to discover a recent addition to Bend’s Ale Trail. Tucked above the Old Mill on Upper Terrace Drive, Old Mill Brew Werks offers twelve microbrews on tap—including six of its own—and a “pub-fusion” menu to make you thirst for another pint.
The restaurant opened 18 months ago, but changed hands in January, freeing up former owner Dave Love to launch a new brewing endeavor simply called Brew Werks. Love and the new owners of Old Mill Brew Werks pub are working together on that beer venture.